NAEYC celebrates National Worthy Wage Day on May 1

(Washington, D.C.) - The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is proud to celebrate May 1, 2010, as National Worthy Wage Day.

“Educating and caring for our youngest children requires specialized knowledge and skills,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, executive director of NAEYC. “The education and nurturing that children receive today lays the groundwork for their success in school and in life. The work of early learning professionals demands respect and fair compensation.”

At least 2 million people across the country care for and educate young children. Despite the contribution of early childhood educators to the economy and to the lives of children, the average salary of a child care staff member is less than $20,000 annually, most often with no benefits. This critical workforce is given such low salaries due to the inadequate level of resources provided to child care and other early childhood programs for young children.

President Obama has asked Congress to invest an additional $1.6 billion in child care and nearly $1 billion in Head Start so that more children could have quality early learning experiences and families would have help paying the costs of child care. Now it is up to Congress to meet the President’s request in funding bills this year. With those investments, we can help more children have access to programs, help programs improve their quality, and provide better compensation for early childhood educators who make a difference each day to families’ ability to work and to children’s learning.

Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide.  The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.

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